KK Series — Career Development

NIH K99/R00 Grants — Pathway to Independence Award

Postdoc → faculty transition (mentored K99 then independent R00)

Funding

K99: ~$90K–$130K/yr · R00: ~$249K/yr

Duration

K99: 1–2 years · R00: up to 3 years

Eligibility

Postdocs typically within 4 years of PhD

Activity code

K99 / R00

What is the NIH K99/R00 grant?

The K99/R00 — Pathway to Independence Award — is a two-phase grant designed to bridge the postdoc-to-faculty transition. The K99 phase (1–2 years) provides mentored research support while you are still a postdoc, and the R00 phase (up to 3 years) activates only after you accept a tenure-track or equivalent independent position. The R00 is portable: you bring it with you to your new institution.

Recent K99/R00 awards (last 24 months)

Live data from NIH RePORTER

2,159

Awards

$100,727,125

Total funding (sample)

$201,454

Average award

Sample reflects up to the most recent 500 NIH RePORTER awards with this activity code in the past 24 months. Total project count is the full RePORTER count.

Most recently awarded K99/R00 grants

Lymphatic Endothelial Piezo1-TRPV4 Channel Signaling in Obesity

Yen-Lin Chen · LOUISIANA STATE UNIV HSC SHREVEPORT, LA · NIH

$248,931

FY 2026

Project: 4R00DK138271-03

Mechanisms and Efficacy of Physical Activity to Reduce Cardiovascular Morbidity in Women with Breast Cancer

Moriah Bellissimo · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, VA · NIH

$133,458

FY 2026

Project: 5K99HL173554-02

Integration of novel contextual and genomic blood pressure measures to enhance cardiovascular disease prediction and management in young adults

So Mi Cho · BROAD INSTITUTE, INC., MA · NIH

$165,364

FY 2026

Project: 5K99HL177340-02

Investigating the epigenetic basis of monocyte exhaustion memory following sepsis

Blake Caldwell · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV, VA · NIH

$112,256

FY 2026

Project: 1K99AI197383-01

Identifying non-coding sources of mammalian craniofacial variation

Zhuoxin Chen · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE, CA · NIH

$128,191

FY 2026

Project: 1K99DE034828-01A1

Discovering lipid transport mechanisms in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Gregory Babunovic · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL, MA · NIH

$135,532

FY 2026

Project: 1K99AI196044-01

Alcohol-Induced Metabolome-Epigenome Dysfunction and Alzheimer's Disease Risk

Nagalakshmi Balasubramanian · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, FL · NIH

$148,985

FY 2026

Project: 5K99AA032034-03

Establishing Ethical Standards for Informed Consent and Counseling for Multi-Cancer Early Detection Testing

Eric Blackstone · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST, MA · NIH

$134,919

FY 2026

Project: 1K99CA307630-01

Top NIH institutes funding K99/R00

By total funding in the last 24 months

  1. 1.NIH500 · $100,727,125

Top funded institutions

Most K99/R00 awards in the last 24 months

  1. 1.STANFORD UNIVERSITY19 awards
  2. 2.UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO18 awards
  3. 3.UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER15 awards
  4. 4.MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL14 awards
  5. 5.WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY13 awards
  6. 6.UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON13 awards

Who applies for K99/R00

Postdoctoral fellows typically within 4 years of PhD (some FOAs allow up to 5 years; clinical exceptions exist). You apply during your postdoc, ideally in the second or third year. You must have a strong publication record from your PhD and postdoc and a clear independent research direction.

When to choose K99/R00

Choose K99/R00 if you're 2–4 years into your postdoc, have first-author publications, and plan to apply for tenure-track positions in the next 1–3 years. The K99 is essentially the strongest possible bridge to a faculty offer — many institutions actively recruit K99-funded postdocs.

When NOT to choose K99/R00

If you've passed the eligibility window (>4 years post-PhD typically), you'll need to consider K01 or other career development awards.

Search tips for K99/R00

  • Filter recent K99 awards in PI Finder — these PIs are about to enter the faculty job market.
  • R00 activations are useful indicators of recent faculty hires at any institution.

Search NIH grants by activity code

Open NIH grant search

Find K99/R00-funded PIs

Open PI Finder

K99/R00 funding trends

Open trend search

K99/R00 frequently asked questions

What is the K99/R00 eligibility window?

Most K99/R00 FOAs require you to be no more than 4 years past PhD/MD at the time of initial application (some institutes allow 5 years for clinicians). Check the specific FOA for your target institute.

What is the K99 success rate?

K99 success rates have ranged 25–35% in recent years across most institutes — substantially higher than R01. The selectivity is at the field level: getting the postdoc record to apply is the harder gate.

Can the R00 phase activate if I move to industry?

No. The R00 only activates if you accept a tenure-track or equivalent independent academic position. It cannot be used in industry.

How portable is the R00?

The R00 is fully portable — you can transfer it to any eligible US institution that offers you a qualifying independent position. This portability is one of K99's biggest advantages on the faculty job market.

Related NIH grant types

KK01

Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award

Career development for new investigators needing mentored training

KK08

Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award

Mentored research training for clinician-scientists doing lab/translational research

KK23

Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award

Mentored training for clinicians doing patient-oriented research

RR01

Research Project Grant

Discrete, specified investigator-led research project

FF32

Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship

Postdoctoral mentored research training